Project news

• The new interchange opened to traffic on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

Overview
This project improves safety and mobility in the east Clark County area by constructing a new I-205 northbound off-ramp and southbound on-ramp at NE 18th Street. This is a companion project to the I-205, Mill Plain Exit - 112th Connector project, which was completed in 2010.

Why is WSDOT building this project?
This project will accommodate increasing traffic volumes while improving safety and reducing travel times along the corridor. I-205 functions as an important bi-state and local route for commuters and freight vehicles. This section of the highway carries an average of 100,000 vehicles per day, and traffic volumes continue to increase.

Many interchanges along the corridor do not have carrying capacity that meets the current and future traffic demands. Traffic backups form on the congested interchange ramps, increasing the potential for collisions and contributing to substantial delays for drivers. This project will improve safety by reducing traffic weaving between on and off ramps, and will alleviate traffic backups and related travel delays.

Our Partners
The City of Vancouver collaborated with WSDOT in its development, design and construction.

The End Result
This project constructed a new partial interchange on I-205 at NE 18th Street and a system of grade-separated on-and-off ramps between Mill Plain and NE 18th Street.

Project Benefits

• Congestion Relief: The new access to NE 18th Street will reduce delays around the intersection of Mill Plain Boulevard and Chkalov-Drive and at the I-205 northbound off-ramp to Mill Plain Boulevard. This project will also alleviate some of the weaving problems between SR 14 and Mill Plain by providing a new option for drivers to access I-205.
• Safety: This project will help reduce rear-end-type accidents on the I-205 northbound off-ramp to Mill Plain Boulevard, which has been identified as a High Accident Location. 

What is the project timeline?

• 2006: Preliminary engineering, public outreach, design and environmental work began.
• 2008: Construction on the first stage of this project, in addition to construction of the I-205, Mill Plain Exit - 112th Connector project, begins.
• 2010 Construction on the 112th Connector project is complete.
• 2014: Construction on the second stage of I-205/Mill Plain Interchange to NE 18th Street is scheduled to begin.
• 2016: New interchange functionally complete.

Funding 

 Final total cost of this project $38.4 million.